A project to facilitate growth in Baldock is being considered by the Government after Herts County Council put in bids for over £200 million to fund it and others.

Baldock has been provisionally allocated £22 million from the Housing Infrastructure Fund to provide growth in the town.

Housing Infrastructure Fund grants are awarded to councils on a competitive basis and can be spent on providing infrastructure to support up to 100,000 new homes.

Herts County Council leader David Williams said: “I’m very pleased the Government is taking forward our bids for over £200m to help us build the infrastructure we’ll need to support new homes in Hertfordshire.

“Local plans have identified a need for more than 90,000 new homes to be built in the county over the next 15 years, and this decision feels like a real vote of confidence in out ambitions for Herts and in our ability to deliver the kind of growth that we want to see.

“We look forward to working with Homes England and our colleagues in district and borough councils to develop final business cases for the schemes and securing the funding so we can move these exciting projects forward.”

Councillor Jim McNally, who represents Baldock Town on North Herts District Council, said: “While I am pleased that Baldock has been provisionally allocated £22 million to facilitate growth in the town, I hope that the money will be used wisely, in accordance with the wishes of Baldock’s residents.

“Baldock will be almost doubling in size as a result of the proposed development of the Local Plan and without significant investment in infrastructure, the town will become an urban ‘sink hole’, where no one wants to live.

“It is time for Hertfordshire County Council to put its money where its mouth is. I expect to see the ‘provisional’ figure only increase, as the business cases are worked through.”

Baldock is one of three projects in the county that has been provisionally allocated at a total of £211m funding from the Housing Infrastructure Fund.

The Harlow and Gilston Garden Town development on the East Herts border has been provisionally allocated £151m, with £38m earmarked for Brookfield in Broxbourne.

Funding is not guaranteed at this stage and the Government will make funding decisions based on the final business cases that will be worked up with Homes England and submitted later in the year.